Nigeria is among 60 countries affected by a new round of United States tariffs that took effect on Friday, replacing the temporary global duties introduced earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
The new tariffs range between 10 and 12.5 per cent and target several of America’s major trading partners, including China, India, Japan, South Korea and the European Union. The move has drawn criticism from several countries, with Beijing leading the opposition.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs followed a lengthy investigation into forced labour practices among America’s trading partners.
“The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century and rigorously enforces it. It’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” Greer said, noting that the affected countries account for the bulk of US trade.
The latest measures come after the US Supreme Court struck down a number of President Trump’s earlier tariffs in February, forcing the administration to rely on different legal authorities to maintain its trade policy.
A temporary 10 per cent tariff introduced after the court ruling expired on Friday and has now been replaced by the new country-specific duties, which the administration believes are less vulnerable to legal challenges.
Under the new policy, countries that have implemented or pledged to adopt bans on imports produced through forced labour will face a lower 10 per cent tariff. These include Canada, the European Union, India and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, China, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria and dozens of other countries will be subject to the higher 12.5 per cent tariff. However, some economies, including the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, secured partial relief under existing trade agreements with Washington.
The announcement triggered swift reactions across the globe. Japan expressed regret over the decision, while Australia’s trade minister described the tariffs as “unjustified.”
China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying Beijing opposes “all forms of unilateral tariff measures” and warning that trade wars benefit no one.
The European Union, however, welcomed the announcement, saying the new measures align with commitments contained in the EU-US Joint Statement.
The tariffs do not apply to products already covered by sector-specific duties, including steel and aluminium. Certain energy products, fertilisers and goods traded under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are also exempt.
The Trump administration is also investigating 16 economies over alleged excess industrial capacity, a process that could result in additional tariffs and varying duty rates in the future.
Trade experts say the strategy allows Washington to maintain leverage over its trading partners while encouraging compliance with existing trade agreements.
Greta Peisch, a former general counsel at the Office of the US Trade Representative and now a partner at Wiley Rein, said the extensive investigations make the tariffs more likely to survive legal scrutiny.
Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council said the policy signals a more protectionist US economy and is expected to increase government revenue.
The latest tariffs come days after Washington imposed a 25 per cent duty on several Brazilian imports over what it described as unfair trade practices. President Trump also announced new 50 per cent tariffs on a range of Canadian products, accusing Ottawa of discriminatory treatment of American alcohol, automobile and dairy exports.
